Song of the Cywren
by PerryTheAlien
Summary: When Timebomb is saved by a pretty young woman, he has no idea of the adventures, and tears, they would share. Rated T for future chapters. Based on the YouTube Channel VenturianTale Lets Play.
1. Chapter I

Mockman had been adventuring for years out in the wasteland. He had traveled all over DC, fighting all types of monsters, and laughing in the face of danger. Years later, it was danger's turn to laugh back. He is now an old man, irradiated to the point where he isn't allowed inside the city walls to seek protection. He figured he could find medicine on his own. Mockman payed dearly for his arrogance. He can't even drink the normal water for he would die from radiation. He needs purified water, but he can hardly move. Mockman asks many travelers to help him, but none would could be bothered. Until one day, a young girl with bright red hair that fell down to her shoulders, black round glasses, sparkling blue eyes, and a vault jumpsuit that said "101" on it. She was the only one to agree to help. Mockman's smile was as wide as it could be. 3 days later though, he doubted her. 'She probably will leave me here like all the others,' he thought. 'I will never trust anyone again.' The truth is, he was too weak to live another day. And just like that, she returned with a dog. The dog's fur was black and white, alternating in stripes. It was fairly large, and looked very strong. 'Oh, don't get your hopes up. She will just be going to Megaton. Why would she bother with me?' thought Mockman. But she didn't go through the gates. She instead turned her stride and walked right up to him. She just handed him some purified water. Mockman's voice spoke up, and he realized how long he had gone without speaking. "Really? I can just have it? For free?"

This mysterious girl just nodded and walked away. Several days later, she came back, this time accompanied by a young man. This young man had short, black hair, swept over to one side, faint blue eyes, and tattered, brown clothes. Mockman called out to her, so she came. "Please, do you have any more water?"

It was about this time that he noticed she was very close to him, while the boy stood farther away, and had a look of disgust on his face. That was most peoples' reaction. Probably because he was so irradiated. Then the girl spoke for the first time to him. "I already gave you some water." Mockman was shocked. 'What are they teaching people in the Vaults these days?'

Mockman decided to be polite. After all, she did save his life once already. "Well, that may be," he started. "but I need more than one water in my lifetime to stay alive."

The girl sat thinking for a minute, then gave him another water. Mockman smiled wide, then asked, "By the way, I never caught your name." The girl then replied, "Oh, yeah. I am Cywren. Cywren Caster. This guy here is Timebomb, and this is my dog, Quasar." Mockman just smiled wider in reply, as Cywren started jogging off into Megaton. Timebomb ran after her at a sprint. "Cywren! Cywren, wait up!" Eventually, Cywren stopped her jog and looked at Timebomb with a sincere look. "Cywren, why did you help that guy back there? I could feel his radiation just by looking at him." Cywren answered this question with a question of her own. "Why did I save you?" Timebomb frowned in a way that made Cywren regret her wording. "You were obviously dying, and in need of surgery," she said. "It would have saved me a lot of trouble. So why did I save you? It is because I have morals, a standard that I work towards. To help people just to help people." Timebomb though about this for a second, then realized that he was left behind as Cywren resumed her natural jog. As Timebomb jogged with her, he thought about how much he knew about her. And that wasn't much. He knew that she was smart, and very kind. Unless she was just leading him to his death. That thought was immediately pushed away. 'That's ridiculous! She saved my life, and the lives of my town, even though she didn't need to. Why would she do that if she was just going to kill me?' He forced himself to stop thinking about Cywren for a minute, and on the town. And almost got a heart attack. A large egg shaped object was imbedded in the center of town. This object sported a nuclear sign on the side, and was painted in a faded green, with yellow stripes at both sides. A bomb. A nuclear one at that. The kind that made D.C. into the Capitol Wasteland. Timebomb lived in fear of bombs ever since he was 12. He asked how he got his name, and Red told him. When he was born, it was found out that a member of Big Town had hated his family and placed a radiation timebomb in Red's clinic. When it blew, only Timebomb survived. The man was put in jail, and eventually died of radiation from his own bomb. With no parents, he was adopted and since he was not named yet, his adopted family named him Timebomb. Ever since that story, Timebomb lived in morbid fear of radiation. And this bomb was not helping him to get over it. "Wh-What is that?!" exclaimed Timebomb, to which Cywren answered, "A nuclear bomb, judging its size, probably a megaton in force." Timebomb looked ready to pass out, but tried to regain his wits. "Well, that would explain the city's name."

"Yeah. Oh! Speaking of Megaton, you've never been here before right? Well, let me give you a tour. This city was built around a crater made by this bomb, and has high walls that surround the crater. There are walkways connected to the walls to make a rim around the bomb, and a few shops and houses are on these walkways. Some are on the ground too. I am looking for Lucas Simms' house." Cywren's bright blue eyes turned icy for a moment and her lip quivered. Timebomb committed the name to memory, for it seemed important to Cywren. They stood for a moment and then, slowly, started searching.


	2. Chapter II

II. "So... Who is this Lucas Simms?" Timebomb had been dreading the moment of asking the question since they had begun the search the hour before. Cywren's eyes again turned to cold blue and Timebomb could almost feel her heart sink.

"He... He was my first friend." Cywren's eyes looked blurrier than before, and Timebomb realized there was water in them.

"Even... Even before... Qua-" And her voice broke into a sob and lent all of her body weight onto Timebomb. At this range, he could notice more details. He saw her round face, very lightly dotted with freckles, the black rims of her glasses, and her naturally red hair, which until then Timebomb assumed was dyed. He felt her breath against his chest, warm and heavy. He smelled cheap shampoo, a new scent to him, which had been almost completely drowned out by the dust and heat of the Wasteland. For a second, he mentally kicked himself for thinking while Cywren was crying. Unsure of what to do, he slowly slid his hands around her, and hugged her lightly. He spoke reassuringly to her, like Red had done when he had cut himself, and thought he was going to die of radiation. Quasar sat nearby, whining as if he understood. The rest of the townspeople walking by gave a quick glance and passed by, as if this was completely ordinary. Who knows, thought Timebomb. Huey might have girls cry here all the time. After a minute passed, Cywren stopped crying and stood straight. Her eyes were a dark red.

"I'm sorry. I just met you. I shouldn't cry in front of you." Timebomb was going to say it was okay, but she continued before he could. "Now Lucas Simms' house should be about... Here."

She pointed to a house that looked worse than the rest. And that was saying something. Timebomb did not like how it appeared. It was on the third ring, just past the water processing plant. The building was a story taller than most of the others, but had very few windows. It swayed a little in the dusty breeze that Timebomb learned to love, and seemed to be made completely of garbage. Garbage, may not be the right word. It was more like scrap pieces that one may find in the dump. However, most of the buildings were made out of scrap, but those were cut pieces, and shaped. The scrap on the Simms' house seemed to just be glued on without any real effort. Timebomb could only imagine what the inside would have looked like. Luckily he never found out, because Hardeen Simms was sitting on a small section of scrap jutting out the side of the building.

He was a young boy, and looked around nine to twelve. His eyes were glazed with a look of sadness, and did not move. Cywren walked over and sat down beside him without saying a word. He looked over and reeled from surprise. In a hurried voice he said,"My dad told me not to-" His eyebrows shifted downward and said,"Oh, never mind."

Cywren sat down and started to talk to him. Nothing of any relevance as to Lucas Simms. After a few minutes, Cywren traveled away from the boy who sat there, as depressed as ever. But something changed. His eyes had a newfound look of hope. Cywren was muttering something to herself but Timebomb cut her off. "So what was all that about?" Cywren answered slowly, as if trying to keep him calm.

"Well, you see... I am going to deactivate that bomb."

Timebomb's legs faltered, and his face gave way to his emotions. "You WHAT?"

Cywren answered with, "This is something I have to do. He will... would have wanted me to." Timebomb felt the urge to hug her again, but smothered the notion. "You can't do this. What if it blows?"

Cywren turned away her head and raised her voice that upset even Quasar. "IT WILL BLOW ANYWAY! Maybe not today, or the next day, but it will because I... I... I just have to do this."

Timebomb replied, "But if it does blow, we could be far away."

Cywren turned her head again to face Timebomb with small tears on her cheeks and said, "This is my mistake. I must fix it. For him. And for... For Jor-" She covered her mouth as if she said a secret. Then she started running towards the bomb. Timebomb said a quick silent prayer, and ran towards her. He decided that if he died, then he would want it to be with her. Cywren reached the panel for access to the wires and opened it. She expertly maneuvered the wires and calmly wiped sweat off her brow. A few times she stopped suddenly and muttered a thank you. Eventually she backed away and admired her handiwork. Timebomb walked forward very uncertainly, and wondered whether to hug her or chide her.

Hardeen took the opportunity before he could. Hardeen ran to Cywren and hugged her waist tightly. He was saying his thanks when Cywren decided to leave. Quasar sat on Timebomb's lap. He eventually said to the dog, "Rough day, am I right?" A salty wet lick to the cheek was the only reply.


	3. Chapter III

Hardeen had given Cywren keys to a house near the local inn. Timebomb questioned where he got it and why he would give it to Cywren, but he kept his opinions to himself. As they entered, Cywren's eyes fell on a floating metal sphere, with three mechanical arms jutting out the bottom, each holding a different tool, and an eye in the center. Timebomb's first instinct was to draw his weapon and shoot it, but he was too amazed by the floating that he did not move. Meanwhile, Cywren was doing a small happy dance and chatting away with the robot.

"Allow me to introduce myself," said a small tinny voice, heavily laden with a British accent. "I am Wadsworth, your personal robotic butler. I am here to look after your needs and keep you happy and entertained. What can I do for you?"

'This was too much,' thought Timebomb. 'Cywren knows how to keep life interesting.' Cywren ended her conversation with a floating metal ball, and looked around her house while Quasar made himself comfortable in the corner. It was two stories high with many rooms, but no furnishings. Well, there was ONE thing, a small bobble head collectors table in the main room. Only problem was, it had no bobble heads. After looking around for a few minutes, and after Timebomb dressed in combat gear ("Just to be safe," he said) Cywren led the team of three out, and silently started walking out of Megaton, and to the North-East. She seemed somewhat robotic in her movements, and did not say anything nor show any emotion. She just walked. They had walked all afternoon, and the sun was setting when they arrived at the Super Duper Mart. Cywren stopped, blinked twice, and collapsed. Timebomb and Quasar ran to her, wondering what had happened.

Cywren rubbed her legs thoughtfully and muttered, "Hope I don't have to do that again..." She stood uncertainly, while Timebomb asked her questions. "What was all that about," to which Cywren answered, "I uh... Must've been in a trance again. Yeah, silly trances! I uh... I've had them since I was... Well since I was born. I just kind of zoned out at times and wasn't aware of what was going on."

The tips of her lips curled in a sly smile in a way that made Timebomb think that she wasn't telling the truth. His thoughts were interrupted by Quasar running straight into two shopping carts while he and Cywren watched, amazed by the shopping carts flying through the air. Quasar had tossed them through the air. With his head. Timebomb stood watching for a few seconds, then followed Cywren away from the mart. They approached a river, which Cywren readily jumped straight into. Timebomb knew the radiation of all water in the area, and stayed his distance.

"What's wrong?" Cywren teased. "Afraid of drowning?"

Timebomb let the remark go, and said, "Yeah, I'll just... Go around." He had to sprint to catch up with the adventurous girl who was at the tip of a metro station.

"Umm... May I ask why you are going into a retched rathole that suspiciously smells like, ugh. What is that? Boots, and pizza?" (He was amused at the thought of boot flavored pizza. BootsPizza.)

Cywren readily responded. "I need to find Galaxy News Radio, and it is in the city. The only way into the city is through here." Timebomb groaned loudly, but followed into the damp dark abyss, filled with darkness and the heavy stench of despair.

The trio readily hopped down the stairs, with Cywren leading the bunch and Timebomb had his weapon ready, and Cywren was almost cradling her single-shot rifle that she seemed to produce from nowhere. As they reached the bottom, they were faced with a wide corridor that was lit with orange lights, about the color of the sunset outside. There was debris in many corners of the winding corridor, and the stench of the air was that of rotting flesh. Timebomb broke out in sweat and started off down the corridor. Cywren put a gentle but firm hand on his chest to stop him, and pointed to another way to go in the right side of the corridor.

"Something about that way... I don't know, it just feels like it's calling."

Timebomb was now thoroughly worried about both her and the place. He could feel it too, but in the opposite direction, out of the metro. The feeling was like a swirling mist coiling itself around his fingers and even up to his neck. This sense of unease made him remember the story Red told him about the Metro when the first missile hit.

"The Metros were in the center of it, and as the walls crumbled down, many families ran for cover. Many died, and their spirits were free, but some were stuck under the debris, and could never leave the Metro."

Looking back, he never knew why she had told him that story, but now it felt like the dead spirits were raising up and trying to tell him something. Trying to warn him. But Cywren went off into the passage, by a door that said AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY, and Timebomb was not about to leave her alone. As she walked in, with Timebomb shuffling in after her, he heard a loud scream, definitely from Cywren, and Timebomb burst in. The room was different from the corridor, and was fairly small. It was illuminated white with white tiles on the ground and whitewash walls. Old filing cabinets were on the left side, and on the right was a console box with naked wires that snaked all the way to a cylinder in the top right corner of the room withholding-

"PROTECTRON!"

Timebomb stood astonished. Without a second thought, Cywren walked over to the console box and began typing in a five letter word. Calls. She began typing in more items with astounding ease, and smiled widely as she grabbed a metro ticket from the desk and the case around the Protectron opened. It was a decent size robot, with a large torso that thinned out into a tear-drop shape from the neck up. It had two stubby legs and two just as stubby arms with three pronged claws that seemed amazingly ineffective. It had a splash of yellow color around the thin neck, claw hands, and feet. Yellow glass covered the spot where its face should be. As it booted up, it spoke in a monotone, scaly voice that said, "Metro security protocol initializing. Metro security grid: Offline. Metro central: Not responding. Threat level Omega: Lethal force authorized." Timebomb readied his weapon, but Cywren waved a hand that told him to stand down.

The Protectron continued. "Scanning for valid ticket. Verified. Thank you for riding with Metro."

Cywren, Timebomb, and Quasar set off again while Protectron watched their area. They passed through another room, more filing cabinets, a drinking fountain, and a solitary desk. Cywren sat down briefly and saw this as a good opportunity to ask some questions.

"So... What life changing story did you have with Protectron?"

Cywren smiled and decided to give a brief history. "Well, I was at the MegaMart, doing errands for Moira Brown, that shopkeeper at Megaton, and these thugs came in. Even with my great aim, I couldn't take them all down, so I activated a Protectron, and he SHOT LASER BEAMS OUT OF HIS FACE! But he was kil... Destroyed, and I had to take down the rest. He saved my life, so I feel that I owe it a favor." Timebomb was taken aback by Cywren's completely kind nature, even to non-living creatures. He seriously doubted, however, that she could kill anything. They got up, went back into the corridor, and were assaulted by mole-rats. Then Cywren proved Timebomb wrong.


	4. Chapter IV

After creeping along at an excruciating slow pace (for 30 seconds) Cywren began her jog through a monster infested area. Her heavy boots were sure to attract attention as they reverberated along the whole area. It seems that even she did not have infinite stamina, and eventually took a seat in a tattered chair next to a blazing fire contained in the cramped space of a barrel. Curiously, Timebomb stood next to the fire and looked in. The fuel seemed to be consisting of mole-rats.

"Those would not burn long. Whoever started this fire started it not long ago." Cywren's eyes went icy again, then cleared as she realized something.

"Dad!" She exclaimed, and jumped up, then with renewed stamina, sprinted off in the corridor, leaving Timebomb and Quasar to follow her trail of never ending bass. As they sprinted, Timebomb heard a shuffling above, as if it was in the ceiling. He looked up, and saw the ceiling was a mass if wires, hiding the true ceiling behind them. His dread grew, as the sound and small groanings were oddly familiar. Where did he hear it?

"Cywren wait!" He warned. Obediently she stopped, throwing an impatient glance over her shoulder. "Do you hear that?" Quasar took a curious sniff of the air and peeled back his black lips to reveal rows of white teeth that vibrated with his growling. Cywren took a cautious step forward, her rifle poised for the unknown enemy.

Two wires above Cywren parted, and out fell a mole-rat, claws sheathed like daggers and teeth bared. Cywren let out a small squeal and took a shot. Unfortunately, it missed the target entirely and richoted off the walls toward a spot in the far corner. Timebomb took out his machine gun and half blindly shot out at the rat. The many shots had hit their mark, and the rat let out a dying squeak while it writhed on the floor. Cywren stared at it for second while she instinctively reloaded her gun.

"Thanks. I owe you one," She began.

"Anytime," was the young man's reply.

The team once again set off in their trail, but Timebomb could not shake the feeling that the groanings were continuing. Surely it had not been a mole-rat which thoroughly frightened him. The groans were familiar, and in a way oddly soothing. He was not fully paying attention, and when Cywren said to duck, he did not listen. He walked full pace into a low hanging metal pipe. His feet continued forward while his head jerked back. His feet slid upward and Timebomb was lying on his back. His vision blurred and saw an outline of a figure with red hair standing over him. Red...

His thoughts drifted back to the story Red told him when he was young. "The spirits raised from the dead!" He rembered her saying. "Whooooaoaooah!" Red was impeccable at voices, and nailed that perfectly.

"That's all just stories," he remembered telling her.

"If it is all just stories," she began. "Then do tell me what this is." She pulled out a tape recorder and gently pushed the play button with a slender hand.

"Whooooaoaooah!" The sound was like a thousand pained voices crying out at once. Red had captured the sound of one, but no one person could capture the sound of all of them.

The memory echoed through his mind, and reminded him of the rotting flesh scent he caught when he arrived. Wait till he would tell Red. But first he had to get out of the Metro. With renewed courage and will power, Timebomb leapt up and started to jog down the corridor. When he reached the stairwell, the trio took a break and sat on the cold concrete floor.

"Are you okay? You got hit pretty hard right there." Said Cywren. It relieved Timebomb that someone cared.

"I'm fine. Not the first time I got hit in the head with something metal." He forced out a laugh, which sounded much weaker than he thought it would. "Now about you, you are searching for your dad?"

Cywren pulled her knees to her chest and sullenly nodded.

"Why did he split?"

Cywren said nothing, and Timebomb opened his mouth to continue but ultimately changed his mind when he saw her eyes. Even though they were still blue, it seemed as if a blazing fire raged behind them. Timebomb had heard rumors that blue fire burned hotter than orange, and Cywren's eyes were living proof of that. He figured he should change the subject, but Quasar beat him to it when he let out a long, guttural growl. Cywren rose to her feet, and strained her ears to listen. It wouldn't be needed, as the smell of flesh and decay, as well as short piercing shrieks filled the air. She ran up the stairwell, two steps at a time, and Timebomb stumbled over most steps trying to reach her. He thought he knew what they were. When he reached the top of the stairs, he braced himself to come face to face with a spirit of those trapped in the Metro. He was not entirely wrong.

There stood three men, dressed in grimy tattered clothes, on the other side of a chain link fence. The men were not recognizable as men anymore. Their skin was a light green, and wrinkled all over, as if they had been bathing in toxic waste for years. Living (if you can call it living,) in the Metro seemed to be very close to the analogy. The three acted like animals, shaking the fence and and unrelentingly charging it to break it open. They even tried to use their overgrown fingernails as makeshift claws, which were long enough to be. The screams let out was inhuman and chilling to the bone. These were definitely the "Ghouls" Red had talked about.

Cywren pulled her rifle from nowhere again, and was calmly talking as the Ghouls ripped open the fence and charged. They swarmed her and slashed her, and one even tried to bite her. The nail hit flesh and loudly ripped it, spilling fresh blood out of her arm. Cywren screamed and fired off a few shots, landing right in the torso of one of the identical Ghouls. The bullet came out the other side and hit the wall of the Metro. The Ghoul did not cease, and kept slashing at his new-found prey.

Timebomb unslung his Chinese automatic Rifle and started firing with a new rage, the likes of which he had never felt before. Bullets sprayed in an erratic pattern, and hit the Ghouls in heads, torsos, and legs, scattering pieces of their rotten skin, while Quasar rushed them with teeth that tore pieces from their bodies and ending what little life they wrongfully clung on to. Cywren was on the ground, surrounded by a pool of blood, her own and the Ghouls, along with skin and bodies. Timebomb ran to her. Her breathing was erratic and her pulse was slow. Hurriedly, he searched himself for a stimpacks, and upon finding none, switched to her.

He searched every pocket he could find, every possible place for supplies, but couldn't find anything. He looked at her fragile body, and tears welled up in his eyes. She saved his life but he could not return the favor, and now never would. He held her hand, now paler than usual, and squeezed it as hard as he could. As if by some miracle, her eyes fluttered open, and Timebomb could once again see the crystal blue eyes.

"Cywren, I..." His words were choked out by tears. "I..." She put a finger to his lips, and pulled from behind her back a syringe filled with a white murky liquid.

"Where did you..?" His words drowned out as he realized that everything about her was a miracle. Cywren, with the last of her strength, put the stimpack into Timebomb's hand, and closed it. Timebomb swiftly but gingerly inserted the needle into the appropriate vein right above the elbow joint, as per the instruction on the syringe, and waited impatiently for the "fast acting" formula to work its magic.


	5. Updating

**Well, I did have 3 new chapters, because I wanted to upload in bulk, but I accidentally deleted them. Oops. I guess I am going to just try to remake them as best I can. Please understand, and I appreciate all of your visits and views. That's how this works right? RIGHT?**


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